Inspector's suspension revoked as his wife 'contemplated' suicide

The officer is boss of SI Roopa who tried to end her life on Tuesday

In a strange case, the police top brass has reinstated a suspended police inspector to the same post within 25 days as his wife was reportedly ‘depressed and contemplating suicide’.

The officer in question is none other than the Vijayanagar inspector H V Sanjeev Gowda, who is now in the eye of a controversy following the suicide attempt by his subordinate, sub-inspector Roopa Tamabad. Roopa is said have had an argument with Gowda at the police station on Tuesday before she rushed home and had an overdose of some medicine.

On June 20, Gowda was suspended from service on the charge of dereliction of duty after the brutal murder of history-sheeter Mahesh at a Cafe Coffee Day outlet in Vijayanagar. Gowda was suspended based on the departmental enquiry report by Additional Commissioner of Police (West) K S R Charan Reddy.

However, Gowda’s suspension was revoked and he was reinstated as the Vijayanagar inspector on July 15. Usually, after the suspension is revoked, officers are given a non-executive post for a while. But that was not so in the case of Gowda, highly placed sources in the police department told Deccan Herald.

Gowda’s suspension was revoked as his wife was ‘depressed and was contemplating suicide’ after his suspension. After learning this, senior police officers summoned Gowda, took an undertaking from him that he would be ‘prompt’ in his duty and forwarded the letter to the higher-ups. Subsequently, the suspension was withdrawn and he was posted back as the Vijayanagar inspector, the sources said.

Suicide threats
In another case, a constable who threatened to commit suicide if he is not transferred to his native place was given a posting as per his request.

The constable had applied several times for a transfer to Davangere. But his request was turned down. The constable was working at Rajagopalanagar police station in Bengaluru for the last eight years. Recently, he again applied for a transfer to Davangere. But he was transferred to the Soladevanahalli police station. He went to the DG & IGP’s office and threatened to commit suicide if he was not transferred to Davangere. “We did not want him to take a drastic step and the transfer was ordered. He was relieved two days ago,” sources said.

In yet another case, on July 7, Srinivasa H, a constable attached to the Jayanagar station, left a note in the station threatening to commit suicide. He was upset that he was deputed to the Siddapura police station for a few days, as that station did not have a driver for the new Ertiga patrolling vehicle. He refused to work at the Siddapura station and threatened to commit suicide, the sources said.